CBRE Appoints Louisa Luo as Head of Wuhan Office

CBRE has looked to its industrial team for leadership of its Wuhan office, as the real estate consultancy announced this week that Louisa Luo will take over as Regional Managing Director for Central China, based in the capital of Hubei province. Luo’s appointment comes two months after CBRE’s former Wuhan chief Thomas Ng was introduced as the head of Savills’ new 20 person Wuhan office.

In taking charge of the agency’s Central China business, Luo will also retain her position as head of industrial for CBRE China’s Advisory and Transaction Services industrial team, according to at statement on the company’s corporate Wechat account. Luo took on her Wuhan position at the start of this month, and with her dual responsibilities now reports to both CBRE Greater China CEO and North Asia President Ben Duncan, as well as to Greater China head of advisory and transaction services Virginia Huang.

“Luo’s appointment proves, once again, our determination in expanding our investment in growth markets, strengthening the company’s leadership and providing the team with enormous room for growth,” said Ben Duncan in the statement.

Industrial Veteran Steps into Regional Leadership Role

Luo’s latest step up comes a dozen years after the industrial specialist joined the US real estate agency in 2006. Covering transactions related to manufacturing, logistics and business parks, the graduate of Shanghai University of Engineering Science was promoted to senior director and head of the China industrial team in 2014 and became an executive director in 2016.

The veteran broker furthered her studies by achieving an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis last year.

Appointment Follows Executive Exodus

The Wuhan leadership announcement comes after a number of CBRE executives migrated to Savills in the past few months.

During March, Savills introduced former CBRE executive Alvin Lau as the new head of its Guangzhou office and deputy managing director of its southern China business. Earlier that same month former CBRE members Sam Lai and Steven Liu also joined Savills to lead its Guangzhou office leasing and commercial sales departments respectively.

In early March CBRE announced the appointment of Ivan Ching as the new head of its office brokerage team for southern China, based in its Guangzhou office. Just last week the US-based firm introduced new representatives of its International Residential Project Department for Southern China to capitalise on Chinese buyers’ interest in overseas homes.